Thrive Montgomery 2050

The MC Planning Department’s initiative resulting in the first full revision of the 1969 Montgomery County ‘General Plan’, as directed by the County Council.

The ‘General Plan’ outlines the high-level strategic approach for land use (zoning), transportation, community design, housing, environment and socio-economic framework that is the basis for all county master plans. These include policy-specific master plans (like Bicycle and Ag Reserve), but most relevant to Darnestown is the 20-year ‘Potomac Sub-Region Master Plan’, which is the master blueprint for zoning and road classifications, among other things. This is due for a revision – the last plan was done in 2002

This new General Plan’s objective is to outline the framework and goals to support an expected 200K new residents in Montgomery County over the next 30 years

Why is This Important to Darnestown?

The General Plan is the basis for Master Plans that will directly drive, among other things, development, transportation, and infrastructure in Darnestown proper, our neighbors in the Travilah, Ag Reserve, Germantown, and Gaithersburg, as well as the rest of the County.

Where are We Now & What is the Timeline?

The County Council has directed a very aggressive timeline to receive a new General Plan by March 2021. We are in the initial stages and the Planning Department released their ‘Issues Report’ in December 2019 – please see the DCA’s response here. Future steps in the process include:

Plan’s Goals and Policies

March/April 2020 – Draft released for community feedback

Jun 2020 – Final recommendations provided to Planning Board

General Plan Update

Sep 2020 – Working draft developed

Mar 2021 – Final proposed plan submitted to County Council

What is the DCA’s Role?

The DCA has the responsibility to communicate to and represent the 5,000+ residents within Darnestown as well as provide feedback, collaborate, and directly advocate with the Planning Department, Planning Board, and County Council to drive our desired outcomes. The DCA’s general approach for input is simple:

We will be a civic leader at every stage in the process to assist in the ‘solution’ – the development of a General Plan that is effective for the entire county. Our feedback will extend beyond the directly immediate interest of Darnestown, understanding that Montgomery County is our greater community

We will identify and staunchly advocate for the protection and preservation of the ‘Darnestown Community’. While this includes preservation of open-space zoning, limiting sewer extension, and limiting road widening, it also includes advocating the existing values and benefits of our existing community infrastructure, which don’t fully align to current vision planned to support future growth.

We will identify and advocate for infrastructure improvements and ensure alignment of Darnestown’s needs as part of the greater county planning effort.

The DCA was extremely engaged and influential in the development of the 1980 and 2002 Potomac Sub-Region Master Plans. This is an extremely important opportunity for the DCA to help drive the future of Darnestown and develop a position of influence we can continue to leverage into the next Potomac Sub-Region Master Plan.